News, History, Writings, Observations & Various Ramblings Deep in the Heart of the Georgia Piedmont

28 February 2018

Local Business Spotlight: Five O'clock Sports Bar & Grill

Five O'Clock Bar & Grill, located at 7189 Turner Lake Rd, has become a veritable institution over the last several years. Opened back in the mid 2000s, this fantastic music venue - that also happens to have some of the best food in the home county - has continued to thrive as truly a "Cheers" type place, where everyone knows your name.

That special & unique feeling that derives from Five O'Clock comes from "a sense of community & family" that owner Greg Rogers & I talked about the other day when I interviewed him for this piece. In addition to the aforementioned attributes of being a top-notch music spot; having a kitchen putting out high quality, not-your-typical bar food; and the fellowship & camaraderie this cool place provides - they also strive to help folks who need a helping hand & are always wanting to give back to the community.

As I've written about a few times in another publication, Five O'Clock is known for putting on benefits & all-day concerts to help folks dealing with injury, sickness or medical bills as well as supporting local charitable causes. Case in point: the very successful all-day benefit concert they did for Donovan Jervis a few months back, who, we are happy to report, is doing much better. So obviously this is a unique place that has a lot going for it. Let's delve into the particulars. As many of you probably know, I'm a major music enthusiast, so let's start there...

The Covington (C-town) music scene has continued to thrive & grow the last several years. The wealth of talent we have in and around the home city is practically staggering, and there is not a better venue for live tunes that you'll find. For starters, this joint can boast the biggest stage in town as well as the biggest dance floor and number of seats of any music venue in Newton County, or for in this part of Georgia for the matter. And the variety of what Greg & them book is really what takes it over the top - Rock & Roll, Classic Country, Modern Country, Modern Rock, R&B & Soul. A little bit of everything. Some of the bands that will usually hit the bar at least a couple times a year include:

-Robby Parker, with his "true troubadour voice"- the incomparable Robin Dixon, whom I've written of in another publication - Kiser - The Peeled Onions

The Peeled Onions - one of the best bar bands in the Great State of Georgia

- Brother Pudge - PITBOSS- and wunderkid Stratton Wilson who has a new project now - 84 - a Van Halen Tribute experience. And if you haven't seen this teenager play yet - he will absolutely blow your mind.- Arch Angel, Half Step Down, and many, many more...

Right up there in level of importance with music, my friends, is FOOD! And I'm here to tell you this - this joint has some exquisite grub. I'd been hearing about their hamburgers for a long time, and when I finally tried one some time back, I was honestly blown away. It was actually kind of similar to my homemade recipe (but better), and it had the taste & texture like it'd been cooked on your backyard grill. Too good. But the kicker is this: they have a large & impressive menu that's as good as any place in town: Cuban sandwiches, seafood, Tex-Mex, killer chicken wings, great appetizers and much more. Check out their menu to see the plethora of food offerings they have. They also do daily specials where they offer up signature items like the Shepard's Pie. This place is as much "grill" as it is "bar," folks.

And last but not least, let's talk about the real secret to the success of Five O'Clock Sports Bar & Grill - the people. And like almost all organizations, it starts at the top. Greg Rogers, the owner of this fine establishment, is just good, salt-of-the-earth people. A fellow multi-generational Newtonian & 1986 NCCHS grad, Greg first got involved with the place in 2007 & later ascended to an ownership role in 2010 when the "time was right." Tommy South, righteous dude & PITBOSS drummer, is Greg's business partner with this endeavor. As a personal aside, a different lifetime ago Greg managed The Depot & ran sound a time or two with a group I was in at the time, The Cool Swap. Also, like a lot of other multi-generationals around here, Greg & I are probably like 4th or 5th Cousins, but we haven't quite figured out the specifics yet... Something else that's really impressive about this place is that the core crew of employees who man the ship have all been together & remained employees for a pretty long time. That is truly a rarity in the bar business, and it's these great people that is truly the key to Five O'Clock's essence. Whether it's the lovely Phyllis who tends the bar during the day, Lisa the GM, Jacob the Kitchen Manager, Larry, Jake, Deanna, Whitney, Rhianna, Crystal or Lindsay or a couple of the others - these are the people that Greg says is the real reason for that "sense of family" & "the secret to their success."

It's truly a cool thing, gang. And to top it all off - you can shoot some pool or throw some darts there, too. It really is quite the place.

Well, hope y'all enjoyed that, and please be sure to swing by and grab you a drink, some good food & some fellowship sometime soon. Check their Facebook page to see who will be playing when, and the crew is always happy to fix up to-go orders as well. You can phone in to 770.385.3060.

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